Celeste stayed very still. The man's hand gripped her shoulder, his blade resting beautifully on the delicate skin of her throat. She had to force herself not to smile. However, she could not stop the triumphant gleam from seeping into her eyes. The Silvite was confused and angry, he was vulnerable, and taking his realm would be easier than she had imagined.
"If I ever see you kiss my wife again…"
"That is enough! Let her go!" Atai yelled, trying to tug his sword arm away, in vain. Ramirez seemed to falter at her touch.
The dark haired woman watched with interest as he fought to regain control over his emotions. What passion he had, she could hardly wait to taste him. Slowly the Emperor released her and lowered his weapon. He cast his glance sideways and saw pure fury in her eyes. Before any more words could be spoken between the two, Celeste intervined, speaking as if nothing had happened.
"So, Emperor, I expect you wish to know exactly who I am and why I ordered my ships against you."
The piercing emerald orbs turned on her, seething with hate, and she took this as her queue to continue.
"You and I, Ramirez, we came from the same place, you see, despite my colouring, I too am a Silvite. I was sent down from the Silver City when those who you knew as the elders were mere children, my quest was the same as yours; to retrieve the Moon Crystals."
Ramirez stared at her with scepticism. Why had the elders not told him of the previous mission….
"You never knew that did you?" She smiled, running her tongue along her teeth, "there have been hundreds of Silvites sent to Arcadia to collect the crystals, all failed. You were not told it in case you were discouraged by it. Did you never wonder why there were so few of your race left?"
Vyse stood, not understanding most of what was being said, holding Fina, and watching the proceedings.
"When I went, my ship was damaged and sank into Deep Sky, with me still on board. Against all odds my ship was destroyed, but, I managed to survive. I was saved by the Black Gigas."
"You lie!" Snarled Ramirez Zelos encompasses all the Moon Crystals within him, there are no other Gigas!"
"Oh but there is! Dalamez is the black wolf. She is the Queen of Life and Death and can give or take it easily. She granted me eternal life, and I am now her mistress. She took me to Alezmueres, The City of the dead, they made me their Lady, and they follow me without question."
"You still have not told me why you attacked my lands." Ramirez said, fighting to keep his rage down.
"Simply this, my dear, Silvite brother. You were doing well, killing all those worthless, inferior beings. You were shaping up to be a masterful Emperor. I would have made an alliance with you, gladly handing control of Dalamez over to such a cold, ruthless man. But, then you met that little Blue Rogue." She said, her eyes narrowing, "She softened you, you started being more lenient to your people. It sickened me to see your glory crumble! Instead of annihilating all the weak, pathetic and useless lives, you allowed them to continue. I thought you would build a world only for the strong, but you failed me. I have come to rectify your mistake. This world shall be one only for the Silvites and those with the strength and beauty to merit a life amongst them. All the others will die."
"You never told me that we would kill everyone…" Atai said quietly. Celeste looked at her, anger still the most prominent emotion.
"Silence, you shall not speak against me in this matter!" She snarled.
"Guards." Ramirez called, still glaring at the woman who claimed to be of his blood, two squads entered the hall. "The ladies have decided not to dine with us, escort them back to their room. If they desire to leave their quarters you shall allow it, they may go anywhere other than the private wing of the Palace, and six of you shall accompany them wherever they go."
Celeste ran her tongue along her teeth again and smiled at Ramirez, allowing her blatant lust to surface for him to see. However, Ramirez merely stared at her emotionlessly, his eyes betraying nothing but anger and hate.
A warm night had prevented the slow descent of slumber upon the Emperor. Or, at least, that is what he put it down to. He had eventually tossed aside the thin silken sheets and wandered to the balcony, and stood beside the tomb of his Empress for a long time. She lay beneath this cold slab of marble, noting more than dusty bones covered by a rotted, ceremonial gown.
Thinking of her, immediately brought him around to thinking of this new woman. How foolishly he had behaved, allowing how deeply Aika's death had effected him to show, by his rash actions. But, something within him had stirred and acted alone when he had seen those two women kiss. He laid his hand upon the grave.
"How can I think of another when you lie dead?" He murmured quietly.
Suddenly restless, he pulled on a loose white shirt and left his quarters. His feet knew where they were taking him, although his destination did not register in his mind, he was not surprised when he saw where he was wandered to.
The communal balcony, overlooking the far away docks, and then the open air. In the distance could be seen Pirate Isle, the very island of her birth….. Illuminated by the soft light that danced its way down from the Silver Moon.
But that was not what his eyes were drawn to. As if he had strayed into one of his dreams, or one of his nightmares, there she stood. Her body encased within a thin black night dress which tickled her ankles. Her hair wafting ever so slightly in the near still air. She had not yet noticed his silent approach.
"My Lady." She gasped in surprise and spun around at the sound of is smooth voice.
There he stood. The very man that had been preoccupying her mind.
"You have evaded my guards?" He asked, there was no hint of anger in his voice, in fact he seemed pleased that they were alone.
She shook her head and pointed a little way along the balcony that stretched around the tower. There were five guards, watching with interest, the Emperor and the woman who so resembled their late mistress.
"You may leave us, I shall be escorting the lady back to her room." He said to them.
Without hesitation they bowed and left in silence. Ramirez turned his attention back to the red haired woman before him. Unconsciously he felt his feet drag him towards her, till they were in a position he well remembered; her trapped between the balcony edge and his body.
Her breathing had quickened a little, but she managed to force a frown onto her flushed cheeks.
"You may be the Emperor, but I am not obligated to follow your laws. I am sure you can command any woman here into your bed, but not me. I am your enemy." She said softly, perhaps with a hint of sadness with those last four words.
"It is not you who are my enemy, Little One." He said automatically, "It is your partner who I will strive to kill." He paused and tilted his head slightly, catching sight of something. A small purplish bruise was forming beside her left eye. His face became dark and his hand reached up and touched it, almost in fascination. She flinched and turned the mark away from him.
"She did not mean to…. I spoke out of my limits." Atai said simply.
"You have laws on which words you are allowed to utter?" He asked.
"No, I merely…." She broke off and sighed.
Silently the Silvite Emperor raised his hand to her face again, and let his eyes slide shut. The woman watched in awe as a soft silver aura surrounded him. Her face tingled slightly as his strength seemed to breech the wall of her flash and flow into her. The sensation only lasted a second before his hand left her and his emerald orbs were released from their prison.
She reached up to touch the tender area of the bruise. There was no pain and she felt the tiny swell had gone down.
"The Silver Moon has many properties that man can harness, spells to cause unbelievable agonies, and spells to bring a person back from the brink of death." He said, "Simple healing is one of the most famous traits of Silver Magic."
"Thank you." She breathed. There was a pause between the two, emotions were rife in their hearts as opposite sides battled against the confines of their duty.
The Emperor felt her lips brush his for a second, before she whisked past him and was lost into the darkness.
Slowly he leaned his hands on the edge of the marble balcony.
Darin was one of the many soldiers who had accompanied the two ladies to Soltis, he was the highest ranking one amongst them, the commander of the Black Army. It had been an unexpected pleasure when his mistress had arrived in his bed. He had not lain with her for several weeks, and since their last encounter his mind had been consumed by her, as it always was.
Celeste came to him for the one thing that he knew how to provide. She liked it rough, she liked to claw at his flesh, and he was always willing to oblige her. No man could want a woman more beautiful…. But he knew, that although he may love her, she only wanted him for his material assets. Like most others who came from Alezmueres his skin was dark, and his hair was black. His body was toned and sculpted from years of training ruthlessly, and was the perfect vessel to fulfil the lady's desires.
His chest rose and fell rapidly as he lay on his back, finally, satisfied. He watched her slide away from him and dress herself. Her body was such a work of perfection, how he loved to bask in its radiance. When she was done she turned back to him.
"You have performed well, your Lady is pleased." She said.
"As always it is an honour mistress." He replied in ragged speech.
Without another word she left him, outside his quarters the guards stood waiting for her. As they guided her back through the corridors to her quarters, Celeste thought sourly of Atai. She had been shocked to learn of the plans for the populace of Arcadia and they had gone into a heated argument, eventually ending with the dark woman striking her. Atai had then left, storming away, and Celeste had felt the need for Darin. Other than that things were going exactly as she had planned. Ramirez was clearly being drastically effected by the appearance of his deceased wife. When Celeste had concocted this idea, there had always been the risk of the bond between the two of them working through Atai's lost memories, but so far, that appeared not to be the case, she was far too devoted to Celeste's crusade to have futile emotions distract her.
Or that, at least, was how it seemed.
"You were with him again?" She said, anger and hurt in her voice. Atai had immediately caught the scent of Darin on Celeste's flesh.
She had never liked the fact that Celeste found ecstasy in the company of other men, although she had always longed for it, and needed it far more than any pleasure she had ever received from the dark woman. She had just never wanted from any of the men she had come across in Alezmueres… something in her soul told her….. she wasn't sure what it told her, for she could never decipher it clearly enough, like the voice was being fogged by a blanket. Celeste had sought Darin's company many, many times before, but this time, for some reason, it drove fury and pain deep into Atai. Perhaps it was jealousy, jealousy that Celeste had a man who could fulfil her, or was it resentment in the fact that the one man she had wanted since they had arrived was out of her reach….
"What of it? I can lie with whom I like when your company does not please me…." The dark woman looked closely at her partner, and narrowed her eyes. "Your skin… it is… unmarked." She breathed.
"Your hand is not as punishing as you think." Hissed Atai furiously.
Celeste growled.
"Besides, I have gone to him before, what of this time? Why does it matter? If you have such a problem with it, why not find your own man to nurse your needs?" She challenged, not really thinking of what she was potentially offering the late Empress.
Hot tears welled in the lavender eyes.
"I refuse to remain in your company, your bed will be cold tonight, unless you choose to fill it with another man!" She shouted, before turning and leaving their quarters.
As the doors slid shut behind her the guards stood, preparing to follow her. With a wave of her hand, the small amount of black magic she knew sent them into unconsciousness, bending down, she swiftly touched the mind of the commander of the squad, learning what she needed to know she set off down the corridor.
The doors stood open, allowing the air to waft into the room, where the Emperor lay, sinking slowly into his dreams, which were riddled with her…. He entered his most common delirium, seeing her stand where her tomb now took residence, watching the rising sun, her hair around her bare shoulders, her body, naked and perfect gleaming in the early light, calling to him….
He heard a blade being drawn, and the cool metal pressed to his throat. Slowly he opened his eyes.
She sat above him, on his bed. Fresh tear stains adorned her face, which was framed by her fiery red hair. She held the knife to him.
"It is my duty to kill you." She said, her voice trembling, more tears rolling from her eyes.
"Is it your wish to kill me?" He asked calmly.
She did not reply, her shoulders shook as emotion over took her. Ramirez watched as she slowly withdrew her knife and cast it aside. Eventually she spoke.
"No, it is not my wish to kill you." She said, before she leaned forward, her chest pressing against his, and her lips tasting his mouth. She felt herself rolled over so she was beneath him, he pulled away for a moment, and their eyes met.
"Then tell me," he said quietly, "just what is your wish?"
"I wish to understand my feelings for you… sometimes I hate you, but at this moment…." her words faltered, and she ran her hands down his chest.
He brought one hand up, and brushed his fingers across her eyes, and down her neck… he knew it so well… then he stopped. His eyes widened.
It was the second time he had seen it, and the second time he knew it to be his own. The bite mark….
He breathed in quickly and met her eyes with his, a look of urgency in them.
"Impossible.." he murmured.
"What?"
He glanced at her. These words should not be said now, now it was time for action…. Action he had not had for the last two years.
"Tonight you belong to me, Little One." He said in her ear.
Wild-Roze: Okies…. Sorry this chapter took so long, hope you liked.